Desiccant dryer and spring holder therefor



Nov. 19, 1968 R. M. WILBER ETAL 3,411,629,

DESICCANT DRYER AND SPRING HOLDER THEREFOR Filed Dec. 20, 1966 INVENTORSRONALD M. WILBER a NORMAN H. SIEGEL ,BYyplLrwm ATTORNEY United StatesPatent 3,411,629 DESICCANT DRYER AND SPRING HOLDER THEREFOR Ronald M.Wilber, Lyons, and Norman H. Siegel, Syracuse, N.Y., said Siegelassignor to All-State Stamping Corporation, Syracuse, N.Y., acorporation of New York, and said Wilber assignor to Parker-HannifinCorporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 20, 1966,Ser. No. 603,343 Claims. (Cl. 210-282) This invention relates todesiccant dryers for separating at least one component from amulti-component flow stream such as may be found in refrigerationsystems, and means for retaining a load of desiccant material therin.

An object of the instant invention is to provide a dryer using loosedesiccant particles wherein such particles are contained under springpressure to prevent movement thereof which would otherwise producepowdering or dusting of the particles.

Another object of the instant invention is to provide a dryer of thetype described in which there is a screen adjacent one end of a tubularshell for retaining the desiccant particles and in which there is aretainer near the other end of the shell providing a spring applyingcompacting pressure to the desiccant particle.

Still another object of the instant invention is to provide a one .pieceresilient means positioned within the bore of a tubular desiccant dryerfor resiliently retaining a charge of desiccant therein.

Other objects and advantages of the instant invention reside in thecombination of elements, arrangements of parts, and features ofconstruction and operation, all as will be more fully pointed outhereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawing wherein there isshown a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a desiccant dryer constructed inaccordance with the principles of the instant invention, certain partsbeing broken away for clarity of illustrations;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the desiccant retaining means ofthe instant invention; and

FIGURE 3 is an isometric view of the desiccant retaining means shown inFIGURES 1 and 2.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein like referencecharacters designate like elements throughout the several views thereof,there is indicated generally at 10 a desiccant dryer comprising agenerally tubular shell 12 having a bore 13, a reduced outlet end 14providing a reduced outlet opening 16 and a reduced inlet end 18 havingan enlarged inlet opening 20.

As may be seen in FIGURE 1, tubular shell 12 houses a desiccantretaining screen shown generally at 22, an anchoring and desiccantretaining means designated generally at 24 and a change or load ofdesiccant particles indicated generally at 26 positioned between screen22 and retaining means 24. Any suitable type of inlet conduit may beaffixed in fiuid exchanging relation with inlet opening 20 with asuitable outlet conduit being secured in fluid exchanging relation withoutlet opening 16. A flow stream containing entrained liquids may beintroduced at opening 20 with the liquid material being removed bydesiccant particles 26 such that a relatively dry flow stream emits fromoutlet opening 16.

Desiccant retaining screen 22 is positioned distant from reduced outletend 14 and includes an annular anchoring sleeve 28 having a reverted end30 With sleeve 28 carrying a screen 32 forming openings or perforationssmaller than desiccant particles 26. Sleeve 28 is preferably pressfitted within bore 13 of tubular shell 12, but alternatively may besoldered, expanded, or othenwise secured thereto. As

3,411,629 Patented Nov. 19, 1968 ice may be seen in FIGURE 1, anchoringsleeve 28 is positioned distant from outlet end 14 to avoid contactingscreen 32 with the reduced portion of end 14.

Desiccant retaining means 24 includes a plate 34 having an enlargedcentral aperture 36 such that the liquid entrained flow stream mayreadily flow therethrough. Plate 34 mounts a plurality of resilientfingers '38 separated by grooves or slots 40 with fingers 38 beingbiased outwardly to provide a spring pressed anchoring means showngenerally at 39 securing retaining means 24 to bore 13 of shell 12.

A desiccant retaining plate 42 is configured to reside closely withinbore 13 of tubular shell 12 such that no desiccant particles may passbetween the periphery of plate 42 and bore 13. Plate 42 provides aplurality of small aperatures or openings 44 to allow the passage offluid therethrough. [It will be seen that openings 44 are considerablysmaller than desiccant particles 27 such that desiccant retaining plate42, in conjunction with desiccant retaining screen 22, effectivelyprecludes the movement of desiccant particles.

Resiliently connecting desiccant retaining plate 42 to anchoring means46 is a biasing member 48 which describes at least one nadir [as at 50and a pair of zeniths as at 52, 54 to form a rwave-shaped or V-shape'dmember separating anchoring means 46 from desiccant retaining plate 42.As may be seen in FIGURE 2, biasing member 48 has :a width transverse tothe longitudinal axis of tublar shell 12 with opening 36 beingconsiderably larger than the width of biasing member 48 such that theliquid entrained flow stream may readily flow through desiccantretaining means 24. v

Desiccant retaining means 24 is preferably made of a spring metal, suchas a spring steel sheet and is preferably made as a one piece member.Desiccant retaining means 24 may be stamped from a sheet of spring steelwith biasing member 48 and fingers 38 being bent by a suitable means tothe configuration shown in FIGURES 1 to 3 inclusive. In the assembly ofdesiccant retaining means 24 will be positioned on either side ofdesiccant particles 26 such that they will be firmly and gently retainedtherein. Biasing member 48 should be compressed slightly upon assemblyto allow for the longitudinal movement of desiccant regaining plate 42upon the settling of desiccant particles 26- It is now seen that thereis herein provided a desiccant dryer having all of the objects of theinstant invention and others, including many-advantages of greatpractical utility and commercial importance.

Since many embodiments may be made of the instant inventive concept, andsince many modifications may be made of the embodiment hereinbeforeshown and described, it is to be understood that the foregoing is to beinterpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. A desiccant dryer comprising a tubular shell having an opening ateach end thereof and a bore extending between said ends, a perforateddesiccant retainer anchored with said bore spaced from one of said ends,a quantity of desiccant particles within said bore, and resilient meanswithin said bore biasing said particles toward said retainer, saidresilient means including anchoring means having a plate configured toconform to said bore forming a central aperture, said plate carrying aplurality of resilient fingers extending in the direction of said bore,a desiccant retaining plate forming a plurality of apertures smallerthan said desiccant particles and a biasing member forming at least onenadir and at least two zeniths connecting said anchoring means to saidretaining plate.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said anchoring means, desiccantretaining plate and said biasing member are formed of a one piece springmetal member.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said nadir and zeniths lie in asurface extending from one end to another end of said tube.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein said biasing member has a widthtransverse to the direction of said bore, said central aperture beinglarger than said Width.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein said anchoring plate issubstantially perpendicular to said bore.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein said biasing member is substantiallyV-shaped.

7. A spring holder for a desiccant dryer comprising anchoring meanshaving an apertured plate configured to conform to a bore of a tubularmember, said plate carrying a plurality of resilient fingers extendingat an angle with respect to said plate, a desiccant retaining plateforming a plurality of apertures smaller than desiccant particles usedin a desiccant dryer and a biasing member forming at least one nadir andat least two zeniths connecting said anchoring means to said retainingplate.

8. The structur of claim 7 wherein said anchoring means, desiccantretaining plate and said biasing member are formed of a one piece springmetal member.

9. The structure of claim 8 wherein said biasing member has a width anda thickness, said aperture of said anchoring means being larger thaneither of said width and said thickness.

10. The structure of claim 9 wherein said biasing member is Wave shaped.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,348,692 10/1967 Balogh 210266SAMIH N. ZAHARNA, Primary Examiner.

1. A DESICCANT DRYER COMPRISING A TUBULAR SHELL HAVING AN OPENING ATEACH END THEREOF AND A BORE EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID ENDS, A PERFORATEDDESICCANT RETAINER ANCHORED WITH SAID BORE SPACED FROM ONE OF SAID ENDS,A QUANTITY OF DESICCANT PARTICLES WITHIN SAID BORE, AND RESILIENT MEANSWITHIN SAID BORE BIASING SAID PARTICLES TOWARD SAID RETAINER, SAIDRESILIENT MEANS INCLUDING ANCHORING MEANS HAVING A PLATE CONFIGURED TOCONFORM TO SAID BORE FORMING A CENTRAL APERTURE, SAID PLATE CARRYING APLURALITY OF RESILIENT FINGERS EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID BORE,A DESICCANT RETAINING PLATE FORMING A PLURALITY OF APERTURES SMALLERTHAN SAID DESICCANT PARTICLES AND A BIASING MEMBER FORMING AT LEAST ONENADIR AND AT LEAST TWO ZENITHS CONNECTING SAID ANCHORING MEANS TO SAIDRETAINING PLATE.